By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Lifestyle UgandaLifestyle UgandaLifestyle Uganda
  • Home
  • News
    • International News & Politics
    • Education
    • Sports
    • Money & Finance
    • Mobile and Telecommunication
    News
    Get breaking news, music updates, and celebrity stories from Uganda and East Africa. Stay informed with Lifestyle Uganda—your insider source for real-time industry updates.
    Show More
    Top News
    Lycamobile Uganda data bundles and voice (1)
    Lycamobile Uganda: 4 Most Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
    4th April 2025
    Who is John Blaq: Biography, Profile and Life Story of Kashada John
    Who is John Blaq: Biography, Profile and Life Story of Kashada John
    5th October 2023
    lifestyleug.com__safe to travel to Uganda (1)
    Is It Safe to Travel to Uganda?
    16th December 2021
    Latest News
    Uganda’s Dr Patricia Adong Ojangole Named African Banker of the Year
    30th May 2025
    Sidi Ould Tah elected new President of the African Development Bank Group
    30th May 2025
    Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o: Celebrated Kenyan Author and Activist Dies at 87
    29th May 2025
    MTN FUFA Awards 2024: Nominees Revealed for Ugandan Football’s Biggest Night
    29th May 2025
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    • Music
    • Celebrity
    • Biography
    • Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • Pop Culture
      • Travel/Culture
    Entertainment
    Stay up-to-date with Lifestyle Uganda Entertainment—the latest news, celebrity gossip, films, and TV shows from Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.
    Show More
    Top News
    Lycamobile Uganda data bundles and voice (1)
    Lycamobile Uganda: 4 Most Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
    4th April 2025
    Who is John Blaq: Biography, Profile and Life Story of Kashada John
    Who is John Blaq: Biography, Profile and Life Story of Kashada John
    5th October 2023
    Maro, Maurice Kirya Help German singer Mark Forster Cross Over With “Chip In”
    17th November 2018
    Latest News
    Bebe Cool Launches New Album ‘Break The Chains’ Amid Reflections on Career and Personal Struggles
    31st May 2025
    Ugandan Media Star Cedric Babu Needs Emergency Heart Transplant Abroad
    30th May 2025
    Eddy Kenzo Criticises Coffee Marathon Organisers Over ‘Disrespect’ Towards Local Artists
    29th May 2025
    Bebe Cool Urges Ugandan Artists to Focus on Brand Value Amid Diamond Platnumz Fee Dispute
    28th May 2025
  • Fashion
    • Beauty Trends
    • Accessories
    • Hair
    • Lipstick
    • Makeup
    • Skincare
    FashionShow More
    Natasha Nyonyozi honoured at Miss World 2025 for autism advocacy.
    9
    Natasha Nyonyozi Wins ‘Beauty with a Purpose’ Africa at Miss World 2025
    28th May 2025
    Natural hair takes centre stage in Uganda.
    Natural Hairstyles in Uganda: The Beauty of Texture, Twists, and Timeless Trends
    26th May 2025
    This is how Zari Hassan does soft power dressing.
    Zari Hassan Just Gave Us a Masterclass in Power Dressing with Modesty — and We’re Taking Notes
    19th May 2025
    Lydia Jazmine addresses body-shaming comments.
    Lydia Jazmine speaks out against body shaming after edited photos spark backlash
    9th May 2025
    African designers to feature at top fashion weeks in Paris and Tokyo.
    African Designers to Take Global Stage with Afreximbank-Backed Fashion Showcases in Paris and Tokyo
    7th May 2025
  • Health & Living
  • Tips & Advice
Search
© 2023 Lifestyle Uganda. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Food Intolerance Symptoms: What You Need To Know
Share
Sign In
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Lifestyle UgandaLifestyle Uganda
Font ResizerAa
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health & Living
Search
  • Home
  • News
    • International News & Politics
    • Education
    • Sports
    • Money & Finance
    • Mobile and Telecommunication
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    • Music
    • Celebrity
    • Biography
    • Lifestyle
  • Fashion
    • Beauty Trends
    • Accessories
    • Hair
    • Lipstick
    • Makeup
    • Skincare
  • Health & Living
  • Tips & Advice
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2023 Lifestyle Uganda. A Now & Entertainment Media Company. All Rights Reserved.
Lifestyle Uganda > Blog > Health & Living > Food Intolerance Symptoms: What You Need To Know
Health & LivingNews

Food Intolerance Symptoms: What You Need To Know

Lifestyle Uganda
Last updated: 22nd April 2021 8:52 am
By
Lifestyle Uganda
ByLifestyle Uganda
Senior Editor
Discover breaking entertainment news and exclusive insights from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Nigeria—only at Lifestyle Uganda.
Follow:
- Senior Editor
Share
11 Min Read
lifestyleug.com__deal with food intolerance
How to deal with food intolerance. PHOTO via @Inspire Fitness
SHARE

Food intolerance isn’t as severe as a food allergy, but there is still the risk of getting sick when you eat the food so you should treat it as such.

lifestyleug.com__deal with food intolerance
How to deal with food intolerance. PHOTO via @Inspire Fitness

If you’re experiencing food intolerance reactions, it’s best to limit exposure to those foods whenever possible and speak with a doctor about which tests are available in your area to pinpoint ingredients causing reactions.

Contents
Do I need an allergy doctor?Should I get an allergy test?What kind of symptoms do I get when I have a food intolerance?What kind of symptoms should I expect?How can I avoid these reactions?

It’s also important to know that reactions can vary from person to person. One person may have a reaction that’s limited to digestive symptoms, while another might experience respiratory symptoms.

The severity of food intolerance can also vary among individuals, with some experiencing mild symptoms, such as gas and bloating, and others experiencing severe reactions, such as anaphylaxis.

Symptoms of food intolerance

Before going into testing, here are some symptoms of food intolerance.

- Advertisement -

If you suspect food intolerance to gluten, there are multiple ways you can test for it. There’s a test that requires the elimination of gluten for 14 days. This is the only test that will show if your body is suffering from Celiac Disease or Gluten Sensitivity.

If you’d like to try this test, feel free; but I am not recommending it because there are so many other reasons to avoid gluten – including the fact that most of us grew up eating foods with white flour and we never knew any different.

This article is about going from gluten and wheat allergies. Once you remove those things you will feel a lot better.

If you’d like to try an elimination diet, go for it. If it makes sense to your situation, give it a shot. I personally tried eliminating foods like corn and dairy for two weeks when I was 7 years old to see if my symptoms would change. They did not, but I felt pretty good the whole time even though I was eating sugar and chocolate – so maybe at least in my case, it worked.

A lot of people ask me what they should do if they don’t have money or insurance to do testing:

- Advertisement -

Get started right away on the Paleo diet. It’s free.

You may just need to experiment. Try removing gluten for 14 days to see if it helps, then reintroduces it in small amounts. Try to limit the high-carb foods – what I call the ‘wheat belly’ foods.

If you are having symptoms and you feel like you may have a food intolerance, then the most important thing is to remove those foods from your diet for a couple weeks and see how you feel.

- Advertisement -

A lot of people report quickly changing their skin issues (eczema or acne) when they remove dairy, corn and wheat products from their diet. I believe this is because these foods are known to cause inflammation in the body.

The most important way to prevent food intolerance is to eat a Paleo diet which eliminates all grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and sugar.

Food tolerance testing

The idea of food intolerance/sensitivity testing is based on the notion that some people are intolerant to certain specific foods, and others can tolerate them. Traditional allergy testing measures IgE antibodies.

The standard test for IgE-based allergy is a radioallergosorbent test (RAST), in which blood drawn at a clinic is exposed to radioactively labelled food proteins or fragments.

However, there are drawbacks of this method:

  1. This test is not available in many countries.
  2. A negative RAST does not necessarily mean that you are not allergic to the food tested, since people who are allergic may have undetectable levels of IgE antibodies, or may be allergic to other foods with which the food under question is associated.
  3. This test cannot be used to determine if you’re sensitive to a specific food, in particular, it cannot identify food as causing cross-reactivity (e.g., peanut allergy-causing an adverse reaction to tree nuts).
  4. There is no data available on the relationship between functional antibody-mediated allergies and gluten intolerance among celiac patients.

The most reliable measure of food intolerance is testing for the various intolerant antibodies (e.g., IgG, IgA, and IgM) that are produced by the immune system in response to certain foods. These antibodies are linked with adverse effects and illness.

The test called ImmunoCAP measures the amount of specific immunoglobulin G antibodies in your blood and identifies possible problems by measuring positive reactions against foods such as gluten, dairy products, eggs and soybeans.

It is recommended that you take this screening test before embarking on an elimination diet and should be done under medical supervision only.

If you suspect gluten intolerance or sensitivity it’s best to stay away from wheat, corn and dairy products. If you’re gluten intolerant, you may want to try testing for IgG antibodies as well as IgE – even if you don’t have the classic symptoms of an allergy.

If your body is reacting to foods, it may not be reacting with IgE but with another type of antibody. I personally have taken this test and I was allergic to eggs and gluten – having an immune reaction that did NOT require antibodies.

A book called Food Allergy Testing is a good reference for food sensitivity tests done outside of the medical establishment. Dr Uffe Ravnskov mentions the most sensitive and reliable tests:

  1. Cytotoxic testing, which measures cell death at given concentrations of various foods
  2. Specific antibodies which measure the levels of IgG, IgA and IgE against specific foods or food substances (e.g. to wheat, soy, peanuts and other legumes)
  3. Radioallergen/IgE testing
  4. Immunochemical testing
  5. ImmunoCAP

The advantage of this test is that it can be done at home by professionals who have access to the test results in less than a week. The disadvantage is that this test cannot determine if you are sensitive to a specific food or not (in particular it cannot identify the food as causing cross-reactivity), and it may be expensive and not available in some countries.

If you suspect gluten intolerance or sensitivity, here are some of the common symptoms:

  • Fatigue Brain “fog” Inflammation and swelling of the joints and muscles
  • Depression or other mood disorders
  • Weight gain Gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, gas or alternating bowel habits
  • Skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis or acne
  • Headaches Mood swings
  • Neurological problems including numbness and tingling.

The bottom line is that there are no diagnostic tests for gluten intolerance.

The only way to determine if you are sensitive to gluten is by eliminating it from your diet and then reintroducing it. If you notice an improvement in your symptoms, it’s very likely that you suffer from gluten intolerance or sensitivity.

Your body is trying to tell you something. Be proactive and do everything you can to force it to heal itself. No one knows your body better than you do! It’s time to get serious about your health.

FAQs: Food intolerance

Do I need an allergy doctor?

Yes. Food intolerance isn’t as severe as a food allergy, but there is still the risk of getting sick when you eat the food so you should treat it as such. If you experience any symptoms after eating something, speak with your doctor to get a proper checkup.

Should I get an allergy test?

Yes. Food allergies are tested quite differently than blood tests which analyze IgE reactions to allergens. These kinds of food intolerance reactions may cause swelling and irritation in the skin, bloating, gas and diarrhoea.

What kind of symptoms do I get when I have a food intolerance?

Depending on the allergen, you may experience different symptoms depending on where it’s being processed by your body. Some common intolerance reactions include bloating, gas, diarrhoea, heartburn and skin irritation.

What kind of symptoms should I expect?

If you have a food intolerance, you may notice that your skin gets redder or turns blotchy after eating the food. You may also experience pain in the abdomen and develop a headache.

How can I avoid these reactions?

It is best to speak with an allergy doctor who will be able to tell you if certain foods are causing your symptoms and make recommendations for testing those foods out.

If you have found this article helpful, please share it in order to help someone else, or simply check out the links in the article for more information. Please leave your comments below or contact us so that we may continue improving our site.

Your feedback is always welcome.

A Comparison of Dental Anesthesia Types and Their Side Effects
Girls in ICT: MTN Uganda and Code Compass Expand Digital Access in Mbuya
Myanmar Issues an Order to Internet Providers to Block Twitter and Instagram
TECNO Pova Neo: A Mid-Range Phone With a 6,000mah Battery
Meet Victoria Atukunda: The Crowned Miss Planet Uganda 2020
TAGGED:deal with food intolerancefood allergyfood intolerancefood intolerance reactionsfood intolerance symptomsfood intolerance testinggluten intolerance sensitivitysevere food allergysymptoms food intolerance

Sign Up For Daily Newsletter

Be keep up! Get the latest breaking news delivered straight to your inbox.
I have read and agree to the terms & conditions
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.
Share This Article
Facebook Whatsapp Whatsapp Reddit Email Copy Link
Share
ByLifestyle Uganda
Senior Editor
Follow:
Discover breaking entertainment news and exclusive insights from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Nigeria—only at Lifestyle Uganda.
Previous Article lifestyleug.com__Eddy Kenzo is releasing a new album Eddy Kenzo Announces the Release Date of His New Album
Next Article lifestyleug.com__Audiomack partners with MTN Nigeria (1) What You Need to Know About the MTN Nigeria x Audiomack Bundle Program

Stay Connected

45.2kFollowersLike
5.1kFollowersFollow
213FollowersPin
35.6kFollowersFollow
11kSubscribersSubscribe
400FollowersFollow
- Advertisement -

Latest News

Uganda rolls out electronic express penalty system to curb road accidents.
Uganda: Health Ministry Backs New Traffic Penalty System Amid Rising Road Accidents
Health & Living
30th May 2025
Bebe Cool opens up on daughter’s illness during break the chains album launch.
Bebe Cool Launches New Album ‘Break The Chains’ Amid Reflections on Career and Personal Struggles
Entertainment
31st May 2025
Cedric Babu in critical condition as family launches urgent fundraiser.
Ugandan Media Star Cedric Babu Needs Emergency Heart Transplant Abroad
Entertainment
30th May 2025
Ugandan banker honoured at top African finance awards.
Uganda’s Dr Patricia Adong Ojangole Named African Banker of the Year
Business News
30th May 2025
//

At Lifestyle Uganda, we inform, entertain, and inspire action through the content we create — empowering you to live a celebrity life.

Quick Link

  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health & Living

Top Categories

  • About Us
  • Send a Tip
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!

I have read and agree to the terms & conditions
Lifestyle UgandaLifestyle Uganda
Follow US
© 2025 Lifestyle Uganda. A Now & Entertainment Media Company. All Rights Reserved.
Join Us!
Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news, podcasts etc..
I have read and agree to the terms & conditions
Zero spam, Unsubscribe at any time.
adbanner
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?

Not a member? Sign Up